In life, love, and fairy wars
by nateman334
Summary: Artemis and Holly, of course, but a more original setting
1. House call

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story

When the doorbell rang, Artemis Fowl the Second nearly jumped out of his chair. He had been working and fiddling with the new prototype of _The Project_. Even though he was mostly cured of his Atlantis Complex, the drive to fix the world still spurred him on. He suspected that it had something to do with his newfound goodness. Within the past six years, Artemis Fowl the Criminal Mastermind had died away, leaving an Artemis that still had the same cockiness, smugness, and overall jackassed-ness that everyone had known, with a sensitivity factor one could not ignore.

Artemis had just finished cursing the person who had rung the doorbell, when the uninvited guest let himself in. "Artemis!" a voice called, and Artemis realized that he had been wrong about his assumption. _She _had let _herself_ in. And the voice of the person was none other than Captain Holly Short herself. Artemis found himself suddenly clammy with sweat. And by the gods, he did not know why._ Ponder later, fool_, his brain chided._ Answer now_. "Oh, um, hello, Captain Short," he stuttered nervously. _Artemis Fowl stuttering?_ His brain voice said._ That is most strange._ He decided to gracefully introduce himself by dramatically bowing on the staircase. Holly raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Seeing that his melodramatic entrance did nothing but raise the ire of his friend, he cleared his throat and spoke." Well, hallo Holly. What brings you to my Manor this fine evening?" Holly spoke then, using her firm, captian-esce voice" I've come to inquire about your illness, Artemis. I trust all is well?" Artemis felt himself suddenly beginning to sweat again. "Yes Holly, my 'illness,' as you have portrayed so accurately, is fine. The idiot that now resides in my head, Orion, is safely locked away. I am very well." To prove his point he used four words in the last sentence. Holly looked relieved. She took out a sleek, silver laptop, placed it on the living room couch, and sat down. She looked tired and worn out, like she had lost a fight with herself.

She stared blankly ahead as she turned on the television and started flicking through the channels, not considering each one. "You may want to know why I really came here, Artemis. I think you should know." Despite her monotone voice, Artemis caught a tone of worry in her voice. "Yes, Holly. I would. What is it?" Holly straightened her back and said "It has to do with several of Orion's… words." Artemis suddenly had horrible flashbacks of what had spewed from his mouth in those terrible days. Holly seemed to notice, and said "Artemis. Are you listening to me?" Artemis was returned from his daymares. He looked at her with mismatched eyes. "Of course, Holly. Just… lost in thought, is all." As he said this he reached for his suddenly throbbing temples. Why was she here? Orion had not revealed anything about his schemes and past, of course. But… Artemis suddenly paled. She could not be here for _that_. Surely… he put his other hand on his temple. Holly noticed this behavior, and told him to sit on the couch. He did as she advised, feeling dizzy as he did so.

She turned to him, her gaze fixed firmly on his eyes. "Tell me Artemis. Is what Orion said true? About… how you love me? Orion said that he had all of your passion, but none of your dryness. Is this true?" Artemis's mouth became dry. Lying was imperative at this point. But a thought nagged at him. _Why not tell the truth? What good could you possibly do by lying to her?_ His brain quickly pounced on this ridiculous notion._ Because it would ruin your already tedious friendship with the captain_. Being reassured by this thought, Artemis delivered the lie with smooth accuracy, almost convincing himself. "No, Holly. I'm afraid that the Fool amplified to the extreme an almost non-existent notion. And if I did, then what would come of it, eh? Nothing but sorrow and heartbreak." Artemis was surprised at the last sentence. He had never planned it. Nevertheless, it seemed to have cemented his point nicely. Holly packed up her things, turned off the television, and turned to him. "I'm glad, Artemis. Make sure you get over the illness. I would hate to see Orion talk in my ear again." She shuddered once with disgust. Then she left in a great hurry. Artemis looked at the door, wanting to cry but not being able to summon the tear ducts to do it. He did not cry, which was just as well, because the house exploded two minutes later

When Captain Short had left Artemis that night, she had not expected to be in the greatest coming adventure of her life. She was busy with her own thoughts, though, which mostly involved a crushing weight of helplessness. She had known Artemis long enough to see the conflict in his mind, and had known when he had been lying. She had just been about to point that out when he said "Even if I did, what would come of it, eh? Nothing but sorrow and heartbreak. She had stopped cold, then, and left in what she had hoped not looked like a hurry. She had feelings for Artemis, but she and he had to tell each other a double lie, neither wanting to hurt the other. It was comical, in a way, but she had other things to think about. One thing for example, was jumping to avoid the fiery beam that had come out from nowhere. She watched the house collapse, and in her thoughts one image was burned into her brain, a person she might never see again. _Artemis. _Holly ran into the collapsing house


	2. Flames over Fire

It was the coffee table that saved him. When the house had exploded, he had been blown backwards at least five feet. Right as the stairs crumbled and were about to crush him, his mothers prized table, that had served her well so many years, flew into Artemis's stomach. Momentarily winded, he didn't notice that the table, which had also blown him back twenty feet, had saved his life. Smoke hazed his eyes; he noticed the small form of Captain Short looking for him. He tried to call out to her something along the lines of this _OhGodpleasedon'tletmedieIdon'twanttodieHolly! _His thoughts, as jumbled as they were, felt a small sense of relief; the twins had been out with their mother, Angeline Fowl. Butler went to visit Juliet two days ago, trusting Artemis to "not get into much trouble."

Ha.F*ing. Ha. Butler would be face palming himself once he heard about this. He turned away from his thoughts to try to find Holly, who conveniently found him at the same time. Without a word, they started back towards the shattered remains of the front door.

Smoke was filling her eyes. The fire sucked air right out of her lungs images of her life flashed before her, and her magic tank dropped dangerously low. She wasn't even aware of Artemis dragging her until they were out in open air. Then they ran, ran out into the clear, crisp night where Holly had stood just minutes before. The world had just ended, and Holly, tripping on something shiny, held it up to the light to see. It was a gold plated envelope. She stopped running for several seconds to read the letter inside. It said this:

_Dear Artemis Fowl\_

_I know you are alive; the explosion was just to get your attention. You've lost, Fowl. I know where you live. I know where everyone you care about is. And when my master plan is over, none of you will live to see the day._

_ Sincerely,_

_Opal Koboi_

_ Rulers of the world_

Holly groaned. Opal Koboi. Fantastic. Holly felt like slapping herself. What had she done to deserve this? Both Opals from different time periods were lose in the world. How fun was _that?_.

Artemis Fowl's world had shattered. The house he had grown up in. his whole life, his whole _future_ had been in there. All of his resources. _The Project_. All that had made his life worth living was now buried under a ton of molten timber. He found he was weeping silently now, and he was ashamed at himself. For Holly to see himself in such weakness disgusted him. Finally he walked over her and managed to croak out one word. "Opal?" He asked, dreading the answer but knowing it was possible, no probable that it was his most deadly nemesis. Holly nodded absently while she stared back at the flames


	3. Hunters of the night

Moonlight lit down in a gruesome scene. A man, covered in his own blood, lay slack against a trash bag. Glassy eyes stared empty into nothingness beyond. And his murderer walked away from the scene, chilly. The boy did not have a coat, and blood does not generally make one warm. He gritted his teeth against the cold. From a distance, he looked like one of the many disheveled homeless children that lined the streets. But in the harsh light of the moon, a much more horrendous truth was revealed. He was a Hunter, one of Opal Koboi's great experiments. His brethren had been killed after the LEPrecon gutted Koboi Labs. He was the only survivor. He had been the smartest, after all. So evolved was he that Opal had to keep him as a paid employee. Lately, though, the missions that he was being sent on seemed peculiar. He didn't pretend to understand his mistress's plans. All he knew was that Opal was going to win. And when that day came, he would feast on the flesh of humans and fairies alike.

Artemis Fowl woke from a dream that involved swirling to a long, dark mass in front of him. It was sharp and painful. He jumped up to find that it was a log. Hazy memories of last night swirled inside his head. Of the house burning flames licking the remains of the house, of running, running, and finally falling asleep in the woods. His head still smarting from its far from comfortable pillow, Artemis wondered where Holly had gone. Surely she wouldn't have abandoned him in the woods? _Then again_, Artemis thought _she_ _is an officer, and she has been missing for more than a day_. That would probably be reported. Then he thought of Holly's confirmation that it had been Opal who had done this. He became angry. If Opal's letter was true, then everything that he cared for was at stake (except for the house, seeing as that had already been destroyed). Head spinning, he started to walk, but then tripped over his own feet. For a few seconds he stared dumbly at the dirt. The he cursed. He was on the ground_ again_. He was starting to hate the situation. He sat up, stared at his feet, and tried too get up one last time. When he almost fainted, a voice from somewhere in the trees called "Artemis, stop trying to do things by yourself. You're going to pass out at that rate." And Juliet Butler emerged from the trees. Artemis's joy was tinged with guilt. If Juliet was here, then that meant Butler had taken off vacation. This was his fault. If only he had smarter. Turnball Root had gotten cameras into his house. Why hadn't he checked for any _other_ devices? Why wasn't he smart enough to… His thoughts reasserted themselves. The time for self pity was not now. He was in the middle of an adventure that he had not been prepared for. And he was going to make Opal pay. He smiled weakly at Juliet. "So…" he started, swallowing to try to moist his parched throat. "I take it that you're not here because of an early ending to you're vacation." "Hardly" said Juliet, then frowned. "Fowl, you can't stay out of trouble. Even when you are doing nothing, you manage to get your house blown up. How the hell did that happen, anyway?" Artemis looked down. "Opal had planted a bomb in my house. I was stupid enough not to check the Manor after the Atlantis Fiasco." Thus was the name he had given his last adventure. "I… well, Holly had been visiting that night, and so she found a note. Opal's master plan has started. And we have to stop her. Again. But this time, there are two." Juliet's gaze never left his face. When it was clear that Artemis had finished telling her whatever she had wanted to hear, she made a decision. "Come on, Artemis," she coaxed, beckoning with her arm. "Where are we going?" he wondered. "Back to the Manor… or what's left of it." "Why?" Artemis said, suddenly feeling defensive. He had a bad guess why, and it filled him with terror. Juliet smiled, reveling in the fact that Artemis knew what was coming. "Because my brother and Holly are back there. And Butler will want to have any gaps filled in his knowledge."

Rain splattered down on the boy, making wetter the already soaked trench coat. A song from long ago filled his head, the irony almost as crushing as the trash pressed against him

_As you walk through the storm…_

He started walking again, making sure that whatever had been following him was not anymore. Whatever it had been, it walked with the upright posture of a human, but clearly was not. It had actually seemed like something straight out of a nightmare.

_Hold your head up high…_

Suddenly he started. Surely, something hadn't moved. That quick flit, a trick of the shadows.

_And don't be afraid of the dark!_

A trick of the shadows, it was not. A humanoid lurking figure saw him, and the boy swore it smiled.

_At the end of the storm…_

He started running. All around him, streetlights light up in perfect harmony.

_Is a golden sky…_

A wall of blackness filled his vision. The figure that had been stalking him moved incredibly fast. There was no escape. Dear God, what about his parents?

_And the sweet, silver song of the lark!_

The thought of never seeing his parents again terrified and inspired him. With extra strength, he broke free of the obscure creatures grip and ran. His coat tore on something. He didn't care.

_Walk on through the rain…_

He ducked between alleys, dodged through empty streets.

_Walk on through the storm…_

He had actually thought he was going to make it. As he turned another corner, he ran past a wall. Something moved on the wall. It flickered and moved, almost to fast for the eye to follow.

_And you'll never walk alone!_

He knew. It had just been toying with him. He screamed into the empty street that stretched into forever, and hoped, crossed his fingers, prayed to God. No help came. The thing that was the cause of his death appeared in front of him.

_And you'll never walk… alone!_

And before he died, a flash of his life went by.


	4. under the radar

Holly Short was impatient. When Artemis had fallen asleep on a log the previous night, she had not been able to sleep. The thought that Opal was out there, plotting her ultimate revenge, well, that just made her madder than she ever had been. She had killed Julius Root, plus a bunch more people besides. She couldn't have slept. So how could Artemis, whose entire life had been in the Manor, have fallen asleep on a log?

The human brain never ceased to astonish her. She was talking to Butler at the moment, who would have been tearing out his hair, had he had any. He was in complete and utter shock. Surely, the Manor could not be gone. It was just too real. Holly actually thought that Butler would go through a mental meltdown. So when Artemis came out of the woods with Juliet dragging him, she almost screamed. The boy was in the middle of saying something, along the lines of this _"gibber gibber gibber rubbish rubbish_ are you sure that I have to meet with Butler? Why not the twins, or, or, my _mother_ even. Just anyone but…" He stopped short when he saw Domovoi Butler.

Artemis Fowl fidgeted. He jerked. He looked away from Butlers eyes. To Holly, he looked like a mannequin on a string. It would have been funny, if the situation wasn't so serious. Butler was yelling now, sounding more like a father than a servant. What he was yelling about was Artemis's uncanny ability to, even when anyone leaves him alone for one night, manages to get in another nick of time, whirlwind adventure. Holly, whose head was already hurting from lack of sleep, tried to step in between the boy and the Butler. She came back with her head throbbing even more.

When Butler had calmed down a bit, she tried again. This time, between Artemis's chalky, clammy demeanor and Butlers rage, she managed to talk some sense in them. Not talk, really. It was more like "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?" this outburst had shut them up. "Listen, Butler." She said, much more quietly. "Opal is out there _right now_. She's armed, dangerous, and has information. So tell me, would rather yell at Artemis or go out and stop her?" for a half second, Holly thought she would be stomped flat. Butlers glowering gaze would have made most elves, dwarves, and fairies run for cover. But after a few seconds that stretched on for miles, he threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine," he grumbled. "But don't think we're done talking, Artemis. We have unfinished business, me and you." "You and me both" Holly agreed, glaring at her friend. Artemis looked down and his face turned slightly red. Juliet raised an eyebrow, and said nothing. But a slow smile started to creep on her face, and Holly wondered whether Juliet knew something about the conversation that had happened last night. She pointed a withering glare at her, attempting to convey the message of: _If you tell anyone, I will not kill you; I will simply maim you and leave you in a human hospital for the rest of your breathing years_.

Juliet apparently got the message. She stopped looking at Holly, but a ghost of a smile still remained etched on her face. Holly breathed out uneasily. If Artemis did feel how she suspected…_ No, _she said to herself. _Do no get concentrated on that right now_. She terminated that line of thinking. Instead she turned her thoughts to the bleak future that lay ahead. Had Opal's plan been set into motion? Of course it had. Opal would never have done this without a bigger agenda. What could it be? What could be the purpose of destroying the house of Artemis Fowl the second, leaving them open and exposed? The obvious answer, of course, was that it left him vulnerable. But hat couldn't have been it. Opal was many things, but _obvious_ wasn't one of them. Unless that is what Opal wants me to think, Holly thought. Then she would be obviously _un_obvious. But then… Holly stopped. Her head was starting to hurt again. Then she came up with an idea. A very simple idea, one that would ease her pain and allow them to find any info about if Opal had done anything noticeable. She spoke up to the silent group of people. "Hey everyone" she called "Why don't we go into town? My head is killing me"

The walk into town was a long one, seeing as they had no car and Artemis lived quite a long way away from other people. Holly thought that explained some things, but kept that thought to herself. As they hobbled into town, Holly spotted a newspaper article

Body of boy found in second strange murder.

The body of Jonathan Green, aged 13 years old, was found in the latest string of bizarre murders that have rocked the area. The same types of gash marks were found on his body as the other victims. This one, however, is odd because his murder occurred one hour after the demise of another Ireland resident, Alan Sharp. Police are suggesting gang activity, although why these specific people were targeted. Police suggest…

Holly stopped reading. Strange murders? Bizarre occurrences? This seemed right up Opal's alley. But why kill these people who didn't do anything to her? A horrible thought appeared into Holly's brain. Was Opal killing people for fun? Was she willing to kill people just to draw them out? They turned into the drugstore. The clerk eyed them suspiciously, but let them go on. As she reached for the Tylenol sitting on the shelf, she looked at the clerk again. She didn't like way he had singled them out, especially how he had singled her out… _probably just being paranoid_, she assured herself. But the unease still persisted. And Holly was _never_ paranoid. Whatever the clerks' problem was, it set her on edge. Holly took the medicine to the front. Artemis paid for it, and they put it in a bag. When they left, Artemis rummaged around in the bag for the Tylenol. When he found it, a piece of paper was attached to the bottle. When the piece of paper was examined, a pale look made its way slowly across Artemis's face. He quickly handed the note to Holly. It was a note. Three simple words were scrawled on it.

_I'm Watching You_

A piece of chocolate smudge, probably a truffle, was blotched all across the paper. Holly grimaced. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the clerk step out of the store. He opened his mouth, and all the world screamed.


	5. Plans of the last minute type

Holly had always hated brownies. They were short (even to an elf), were bossy, and always thought themselves as kings of the world. With that thought in mind, she proceeded to curse them in every bit of Gnomish she could recall with her eardrums splitting. The screaming continued, and Holly could swear that the entire town was shouting. Which wasn't that unlikely. Brownies travel in packs. Artemis and Butler were already on their knees, faces white with pain._ If I do not do something now_, Holly thought,_ my friends will die. _ The thought reassured her. Made her think more clearly. Removed the haze of pain from her addled brain. She started moving slowly towards the two people who were now on ground. She fought through the pain. The brownies screamed even louder. Holly knelt down next to Artemis and said, in a small whisper, "Artemis. Artemis. Get up. We need a plan." It must have been hard for him, but he sat up. All around, the noise was deafening. Butler was unconscious, and Holly doubted that she or Artemis would be awake for very long. The boy seemed to be thinking hard. Finally he mumbled something almost unintelligible. Holly leaned in closer so she could hear. "Dirt" was what he was whispering, mumbling, over and over again. "We need dirt" He was sickly pale, and looked close to death, but his strength surprised Holly. Most humans (Except Butler, of course, who was still, futilely, trying to get up) would have passed out. But the plan was… well… not to good. Shoving dirt in ones ears was not the best solution to the Brownie problem. Their type of screaming could get through the toughest earplugs. "Sorry, Artemis," Holly whispered back, "But I don't think that shoving dirt in our ears will help." "No" he said urgently, trying to get her to understand. "Not ground dirt. Mulch dirt." And, as if on queue, the dwarf appeared from the ground.

**So… what do you think? Like it, hate it, want to burn it? I need reviews!**


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